Pacemaker, artificial

Pacemaker, artificial
A device that uses electrical impulses to regulate the heart rhythm or to reproduce that rhythm. An internal pacemaker is one in which the electrodes into the heart, the electronic circuitry and the power supply are implanted (internally) within the body. Although there are different types of pacemakers, all are designed to treat bradycardia, a heart rate that is too slow). Pacemakers may function continuously and stimulate the heart at a fixed rate or at an increased rate during exercise. A pacemaker can also be programmed to detect too long a pause between heartbeats and then stimulate the heart. History: The implantable pacemaker was invented by Wilson Greatbatch in 1958. While building an oscillator to record heart sounds, he installed a resistor with the wrong resistance in the unit. It began to give off a steady electrical pulse. Greatbatch realized that the device could be used to regulate the heart and hand-crafted the world's first implantable pacemaker. Greatbatch later invented the corrosion-free lithium battery to power the pacemaker.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Artificial pacemaker — A device that uses electrical impulses to regulate the heart rhythm or to reproduce that rhythm. An internal pacemaker is one in which the electrodes into the heart, the electronic circuitry and the power supply are implanted (internally) within… …   Medical dictionary

  • Pacemaker (disambiguation) — Pacemaker may refer to:In biology and medicine: * Cardiac pacemaker, a group of cells within the heart that together initiate contractions and set the pace of beating * Artificial pacemaker, a device implanted to provide proper heart rhythm when… …   Wikipedia

  • pacemaker — n. (Physiol. & Anat.) 1. a specialized bit of heart tissue that controls the heartbeat. Syn: cardiac pacemaker, sinoatrial node. [WordNet 1.5] 2. An implanted electronic device that takes over the function of the natural cardiac pacemaker[1];… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pacemaker — ► NOUN 1) (also pacesetter) a competitor who sets the pace at the beginning of a race or competition. 2) an artificial device for stimulating and regulating the heart muscle …   English terms dictionary

  • Artificial pacemaker — Cardiac resynchronization therapy and CRT (Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy) redirect here. For the device termed a CRT D, see Implanted cardiac resynchronization device. For other uses, see Pacemaker (disambiguation). A pacemaker, scale in… …   Wikipedia

  • Pacemaker — A system that sends electrical impulses to the heart in order to set the heart rhythm. The pacemaker can be the normal natural pacemaker of the heart or it can be an electronic device. The natural pacemaker of the heart is the sinus node, one of… …   Medical dictionary

  • pacemaker — pacemaking, n. /pays may keuhr/, n. 1. pacesetter. 2. Med. an electronic device implanted beneath the skin for providing a normal heartbeat by electrical stimulation of the heart muscle, used in certain heart conditions. 3. Anat., Physiol. any… …   Universalium

  • Artificial organ — An artificial organ is a man made device that is implanted into, or integrated onto, a human to replace a natural organ, for the purpose of restoring a specific function or a group of related functions so the patient may return to as normal a… …   Wikipedia

  • pacemaker — An electronic device that is implanted in the body to monitor heart rate and rhythm. It gives the heart electrical stimulation when it does not beat normally. An artificial pacemaker runs on batteries and has long, thin wires that connect it to… …   English dictionary of cancer terms

  • Pacemaker potential — In the heart, the pacemaker potential is the voltage created by impulses from an artificial electronic pacemaker or the SA node which drives the rhythmic firing of the heart.The pacemaker potential brings the membrane potential to the threshold… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”